Doll&#39;s head



l. FJQIANDELL 2,475,508

DOLLS HEAD Filed Feb, 8, 1944 fihwa 7 INVENTOR ATTORNEY.

Patented July 5, 1949 DOLLS HEAD Irving F. Mandell, New Brunswick, J.,. assignor to LydiaB. Koch,

New York, N.. Y. Robert J.

MacDonald executor of said Lydia B; Koch, de-

ceased Application February 8, 1944, Serial No.521,49,3

8 Claims. I The. invention relates to; dolls heads. and. more particularly to the eye structure of such heads.

Heretofore; it has. been a commonpractice to provide dolls heads with an eye structure in which the: eyeballs arerlmounted upon a barrotatably mountedin a frame securedwithin the head and had.-: areas: simulating eyelids upon the, eyeballs. Pendulous means: were pIOVidBd1fOI' rotating said eyewbanwhenachangingqthe; upright position of a doll to a recumbent/position, or vicewversa; so: that the simulated iris and pupil were, exposed when a dollrwas; upright. and: that-simulated, lid was; ex-

nosed: when; the: doll: was: recumbent. In another eye: structure; the-simulated eyeballs had no rotative movement and; eyelids mounted upon) an oscillatory frame were moved; by a pendulous wei htinto on out of position. in" front. .ofthe; eye.- hall according towh'ether thedollwasin: a recumbent or an upright position.

It hasbeen. proposed; to: provide: dolls which aplurality of pairsof eyes:havinggdiiferentichar acteristics are carried by a manually movable mem-berso thatiar childgmay'at'will bring difi'erent eyes into. the eye openings. Insuchv a construction themovementofa doll fromone positionto another has no controlling effect; upon the eyes toibe exposedtthrougn said openings.

With the above conditions; in: mind, I have produced: a: dolls head" in. which the eye structure is so.constructedlthat a sequenceof eyes havingdiffierent' forms or differently colored .irisesa will be successively exposed through the eye openings of theuhead: aswa result of. the movementof-the doll from arecumbent to an upright position. The

mechanisms for'encompassing such changes in r the eye effect are all concealed within the head, so that theresultswill seemmysterious to achild and'arouse much additional. interest in the doll. To increase the" mystificationpthe eye structure issuohras to cause the actionto'he: entirely. automatic, andpreferably is: such; as to cause actuationpof the eyeballs at intervals requiring; a, repeated change of..posture oithe dolLthus further increasing. a childs mystification.

Since rotative movement of the eyes occurs only upon. certainpreidetermined number ofv successive movements of'the doll, and. the eyes mustgbe concealed when such movement occurs, I provide simulated eyelids, actuated with each change of posture of-the doll, sothat when movement is imparted to the eyes, such movement is concealed byor so-synchronized with that ofthe-eyes as-to distract attention therefrom.

The construction is such as toapermitthe'movement. or: the eyes and. or; the 2 eyelids by," the same 2.), actuating; mechanism, and the. manner of form: ing and combining thevariousparts of thismechanism' aresuchasto preclude possible interference withthat. continued operation. of the mechanism necessary. totsecure. the desiredaction.

The. invention. consistsp rimarily in the combination; with ad dollfs head having eye openings therein, of an eyestructureembodying thereina rotatable: shaft, two drumlike, members carried thereby and movable therewith, each adjacent aneye opening and. each having a plurality of dissimilar decorations. simulating; the. iris of an eye, at spacedlintervals about its periphery, means whereby said members carriedby saidshaftmay be, simultaneouslyrturned tov bring. said decorations; successively within eyeopenings, a pendulous: weight actuated with each movement of a doll betweenan uprightand a recumbent posietion, means: acted upon by said: weight, adapted toengage the means carried by said: shaft, and means: adapted! to hold saidlast named means disengaged froma theemeans carried by said shaft but permit it to engage therewith after a plurality of succeeding;- movements of: said weight to intermittently actuatesaidi shaft;v and in such; other novel; features of construction and combination of parts as are hereinafter set forth and described and more particularly pointed out in. the claims hereto appended;

Referrin to: the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through the upper part of a dOlLsheadequmped;with an eye; structureembodying the invention and shown; upon 131165111161 l:-| of. Fig.2;

Figrzisa plan view of the eye structure shown imFig. 1nwith': portions of: the main frame broken away;

Fig; 3 reanview thereof, and

Fig: 4 is a section on: the: line 4-4 orFig. 2with ax drum-like member bearing the iris decorations shown in elevation.

Likenumerals: refer: to like parts throughout the several views.

In the embodiment: ot theinvention; shown in the drawings; an ordinary: molded pulp dolls head is indicated at It]. This head has the-usual spaced eye openings lit located at opposite sides of theen'ose.

Secured: within the head in any desired: or well known manner, is atmetal'mainframe orbridge, 12 having spaced? bearing brackets. l:3--M one adiiacentrthecutsideeof each eyesopeningt. Mounted in said brackets is a rotatableeye bar li5-upon which-Mare, two: dnumlikex members lG-l each transversely arched: so as to i give: the effect of an eyeball to each portion of each member exposed through an eye opening. Each of said members is secured to and rotatable with the eye bar I5 so as to ensure simultaneous, similar movement to both members. Upon each member lt-ll is a sequence of equally spaced decorations simulating the iris, pupil and white of an eye, and located as best shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings.

It is apparent that by intermittently turning said which is a stem 20 carrying av weight 2| suflicient to develop power for turning said shaft against the re'sistanceof a spring actuating and spring detent pawls included in said mechanism, through gearing to be hereinafter described.

Carried by and movable with the frame 19 are plates 22 simulating eyelids having the usual eyelashes. These eyelid plates are located, and

freely movable, in a space aflforded between the members l6--I1 and the respective eye openings H and will, with changes of posture of a doll, have one full oscillation or closing and. opening movement with each full oscillation of the frame l9 by the weight 2 I.

Secured to the eye bar l5 so as to impart movement thereto, is a ratchet wheel 23 and idly mounted upon said shaft is a ratchet wheel 24. (Jo-operating with both ratchet wheels is a spring actuating ratchet pawl 25 carried by the pendulum frame I9 (see Fig. 3). Both ratchet wheels 23 and 24 have the same number of teeth but the wheel 24 is larger in diameter than'the wheel 23 so that the ratchet pawl 25 is disengaged from the wheel 23 excepting when it is desired to transfer movement of the wheel 24 to the eye bar Hi. This transfer is effected by providing the wheel 24 with one deep tooth 26 permitting the ratchet pawl 25 to engage the ratchet wheel 23 once during each full rotation the wheel 24. This is an old and well known form of trans fer mechanism. 7

There being five simulated eyes IS on each of the members Iii-I1, i the ratchet wheels 2324 will each have five ratchet teeth spaced apart the same number of degrees in arc to correspond with the spacing of the eye simulations upon said members. Variation in the number and spacing of eye simultations would require a corresponding variation in the number and spacing of the teeth'upon the wheels 23-24. With the arrangement shown, the eye bar l5 will be actuated following each fifth change ofposture of a doll.

Suitable spacin washers 2128 are used upon the shaft 15 on opposite sides of the ratchet wheel 24.

Acting upon the ratchet wheel 23 is a spring detent pawl 30 and acting upon the wheel 24 is a similardetent pawl 29, both said paw'ls being secured to the main frame l2.

The actuating ratchet pawl 25 is, as shown, in the form of a looped spring secured to the pendulum frame l9.

Projecting from the main frame 12 is a, bumper plate 3| engageable with the pendulum frame- I9 when a doll is in the recumbent position and projecting from the forward edge of the pendulum frame 19 is a bumper 32 engageable with the forward part of the dolls head. The bumper plate 31 is so positioned as topermit movement of the frame 59 in excess of that required to impart a step by step movement to the ratchet wheel 2d thus compensating for variance in the lengths of the teeth upon that ratchet wheel and upon the ratchet wheel 23.

If a materially greater number of movements of the pendulum is required before movement is to be imparted to the shaft 15, the transfer mechanism may be modified to delay the engagement of the ratchet pawl with the ratchet wheel 23, which is also old and well known as a mechanical movement.

The operation of the eye structureabove described and shown in the drawings, is substantially as follows: L

When a dolls head is in an upright position as shown in Fig. l, the eyelids are positioned above the members l6-l'| so as to expose one of the 'eye'simulations it uponeach member through an eye opening ll. While in an upright or recumbent position, the shaft 15 is held against movement by the detent pawl 30 acting upon the ratchet wheel 23 secured to said shaft, and the ratchet wheel 24 is held against movement in relation to the ratchet wheel 23 by the detent pawl 29.

If the position of the dolls head be changed by placing the doll in a reclining or recumbent position, the pendulum frame turns in relation to the shaft l5, the weight 2| rocking the frame IS in a manner to impart turning movement to the ratchet wheel 24 by the spring ratchet pawl 25, without, however, imparting movement to the shaft l5.

Simultaneously with this movement of the pendulum frame [9 by the weight 2|, said frame moves the eyelid plates 22 across the eye 'opem ings II to simulate'the closing of the eyes of the doll. It will be noted that this eyelid plate movement is independent of any movement of the members Iii-l1.

As the dolls head is restored to the upright position, there is a reverse movement of the frame l9 and the eyelid plates 22. During this movement, the spring pawl 25 rides over the teeth of the ratchet wheel 24 which latter is held against movement by a'positive locking engagement of the detent pawl 29 with a tooth upon said wheel. Hence step by step movements are imparted to the ratchet wheel 24 with succeeding changes of position of a doll and the resulting oscillations of the frame l9.

During some of the oscillations of the frame I9, the pawl 25 is held b'y'the ratchet wheel 24. out of engagement with the ratchet wheel 23, but when the ratchet wheel 24 has had a sufficient number of impulses to bring the deep tooth 26 into a positionwhere it is engageable by the pawl 25, said pawl willhave a reflex action causing it to enter this deep tooth and engage a tooth upon the ratchet wheel 23. The next oscillation iof the frame l9 will thereupon impart a partial rotation to both. ratchet wheels 7 23, and 24, to the shaft l5 and to the drumlike eye members l6-l1, thus moving one pair of eye simulations away from eye openings II and bringing th succeeding pair to a position to be exposed through said openings.

By changing or varying the color and design of aura-cos fthez'several eyeJsimulations l 8,surprising changes maybe wrought "in the appearance "of 'a doll.

As "heretofore stated, with five -teeth on ea'ch ratchet wheel 23-24,"the 'eye members will receive an impulse after five actuations 'ol" the ratchetwheel 24, but if a more infrequent ac- "tuation of the shaft "F is desired, the use of a ratchet wheel or wheels intermediate the wheels --23-24"ma'y be resorted to, a practice common Withtrans'fer "mechanisms of thetype shown, or the number of teeth on the wheels ZB M "may be increased.

l he-wei'ght 2 l must be sufliciently "heavy to overcome the resistance to .ifiexure of the actuating pawl when ridin over a toothmf the wheel M :asavell =as to the r'esietance of the detent pawls tluring' the turning or either :"or "both poise 'ior the eyelid plates 22 and their support. "It is not my intention to limit the invention "to the details of construction shown in "the flrawingsyit b'e'ing apparent that such m'ay :be

*varied with'out departing from the spirit and scope of th'e invention.

rembodyingctherein a rotatable shaft, two drum- :like members carried therebyrandnnovabl'e therewith, eachadjacent an weyea'epening andleach having a plurality of decorations simulatin the iris of an eyey'sa'i'd decorations bein at spaced internals on said membersieyelid plates movable ibetweenasaid members arrdriihe eye openings, means carrying said plates idly mounted on said shaft, means whereby said members may be simultaneously turned to bring said decorations successively within eye openings including a pendulous weight actuated with each movement of the doll between an upright and a recumbent position, and means acted upon by said weight, and connected to said members fOr intermittently actuating said members, and connections between said weight and the means carrying said eyelid plates whereby said plates are actuated with each oscillation of said weight independently of movement of said members.

2. In dolls heads, the combination with a head having eye openings therein of an eye structure embodying therein a rotatable shaft, two drum-like, transversely arched members car ried thereby and movable there-with each adjacent an eye Opening and each having a plurality of dissimilar decorations simulatin the iris of an eye, said decorations bein at spaced intervals about said members, a ratchet wheel carried by said shaft whereby said members may be simultaneously turned to bring said decorations successively within eye openings, another ratchet wheel of greater diameter than the ratchet wheel upon said shaft, idly mounted upon said shaft, an intermittently operative transfer mechanism including a ratchet pawl constantly engaging said larger ratchet wheel and adapted to engage said ratchet wheel carried by said shaft during intermittent actuations of said transfer mechanism whereby said shaft will receive only interi no i6 mittent impulses 'and a *pendulous weight actuated-with 'eachmovement 0f *the doll "between an upright and a recumbent p osition.

3. "In =do'lls"-*heads, *theconibination with a head having eye opening-s therein "of "an eye structure *ernbodyingtherein a rotatable shaft, two drumlike, transversely *arc'hed mem'be'rs oar-ried thereby and movable therewith,*eachadiacent an eye opening and each *havin-g a plurality of dissim- 'ilar decorations -simu'lat'ing 'the iris of an eye, said decorations being at spaced intervals about saidmembers;eyelid plates movable between said members and the eye open ings, means carrying said plates idly mounted *on said shaft, a ratchet wheel carried by said shaft whereby said members may be simultaneously turned to-brin said decorations successively within eye openings,

"another ratchet wheel of "greaiter diameter than the rat'het whehupon-said shaft, i'dl-y mount- 'ed upon said shaft, an' intermittently operative "transfer 'meb'l ra/ni'sn including a ratchet pawl constantly engaging said larger ratchet wheel and adaptedtoengage said ratc'l iet wheel carried by said-shaft durin'g intermittent actuations of said trans'ferqnechanism whereby said shaft will receive only iritermit'tent impulses, a pendul'ous weight actuatedwith each movement of "the doll betweeman upright -and a'recumbent position, =an'd connections between said weight and the means carrying =--said plates whereby said plates are a'c'tualted with each oscillation of said weight independently of movement of said ment- -bers. i

In dolls heads, the 'comb'ination with a head having e-ye openings therein or i an eye structure embodying therein "a rotatable-shaft, two 'drum like, transversely ar'cl-ied menibers carried thereby and movable therewith, each adjacent an eye 'op'en ing' and each hav'ing 'a qdlurality of -dissimi- -lar decorations simulating their'is of an-eye, said *decorations' bein'g atspacedintervals about said members, -'a' ratchet wheel carried "by said shaft whereby sa id menibers may be "simultaneously turned to bring said decorations successively within eye openings, another ra tchet wheel of greater diameter than the ratchet wheel upon said shaft having the same number of teeth as said ratchet wheel carried by said shaft, one of said teeth being of a depth greater than the others, a spring ratchet pawl constantly engaging said larger ratchet and adapted to enter said deep tooth and engage said ratchet wheel carried by said shaft whereby said shaft will receive only intermittent impulses, said larger ratchet wheel being idly mounted on said shaft, and a pendulous weight operative upon said pawl and actuated with each movement of the doll between an upright and a recumbent position.

5. In dolls heads, the combination with a head having eye openings therein of an eye structure embodying therein a rotatable shaft, two drumlike, transversely arched members carried thereby and movable therewith, each adjacent an eye opening and each having a plurality of dissimi lar decorations simulating the iris of an eye, said decorations being at spaced intervals about said members, eyelid plates movable between said members and the eye openings, means carrying said plates idly mounted on said shaft, a ratchet wheel carried by said shaft whereby said members may be simultaneously turned to bring said decorations successively within eye openings, another ratchet wheel of greater diameter than the ratchet wheel upon said shaft having the same number of teeth as said ratchet wheel carried by said shaft, one of said teeth being of greater ratchet wheel carried by said shaft whereby said shaft will receive only intermittent impulses, said larger ratchet wheel being idly mounted on said shaft, a pendulous weight operative upon said pawl and actuated with each movement of the doll between an upright and a recumbent position, and connections between said weight and the means carrying said eyelid plates whereby said plates are actuated with each oscillation of said weight independently of movement of said members.

6. In dolls heads, the combination with a head having eye openings therein of an eye structure embodying therein a rotatable shaft, two drumlike, transversely arched members carried thereby and movable therewith, each adjacent an eye opening and each having a plurality of dissimilar decorations simulating the iris of an eye, said decorations'being at spaced intervals about said members, a ratchet wheel carried by said shaft whereby said members may be simultaneously turned to bring said decorations successively within eye openings, another ratchet wheel of greater diameter than the ratchet wheel upon said shaft having the same number of teeth as said ratchet wheel carried by said shaft, one of said teeth being of a depth greater than the others, a spring ratchet pawl constantly engaging said larger ratchet and adapted to enter said deep tooth and engage said ratchet wheel carried 1 by said shaft whereby said shaft will receive only intermittent impulses, said, larger ratchet wheel being idly mounted on said shaft, a pendulous weight operative upon said pawl and actuated with each movement of the doll between an upright and a recumbent position, and means cooperating with said ratchet wheels preventing turning thereof with movement of said weight in one direction while permitting a controlled turning thereof with movement of said weight in the opposite direction.

'7. In dolls heads, the combination with a head having eye openings therein of two rotatable members each having on same a plurality of spaced dissimilar decorations simulating eyes a shaft carrying said members and rotatable therewith and a mechanism automatically operative with each change of posture of the doll including therein means carried by said shaft capable of imparting a rotative impulse to said members,-

and means whereby it is made inoperative to impart an impulse to said members except follow ing a plurality of actuations of said mechanism.

8. In dolls heads, the combination with a head having eye openings therein of two rotatable drum-like members each having on same a plurality of spaced, dissimilar decorations simulating eyes, plates simulating eyelids carried by an oscillatory frame so as to be movable into and out of position between said members and said eye openings, and a mechanism automatically operative with each change of postureof the doll, to oscillatesaid eyelid frame, and including therein means whereby said mechanism is made operative to impart rotative impulses to said members only during intermittent actuations of said mechanism.

IRVING F. MANDELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,008,471 Jacquerod Nov. 14, 1911 1,027,324 Dickson May 21, 1912 1,412,670 Reinhardt Apr. 11, 1922 2,208,219 Maibaum July 16,1940

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 718,066 France Oct. 27, 1931 

